


Coincidentally, also the first day of Straw Hat Month

by nerdy-flower (baconnegg)



Series: Scenes from a Sunny Winter Town [4]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, An extremely belated birthday fic for my favourite noodle boy, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, I hope, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut, Nerds talking about feelings, Oops this is late, Part of a series but can be read as a standalone, The world is hard so here are some short soft boys, Trans Male Character, What's that quote from Aria? Nothing really happens but in a good way, nerds being nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 17:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10575957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baconnegg/pseuds/nerdy-flower
Summary: Sometimes your day sucks and your week sucks and your direction in life possibly sucks but your boyfriend is pretty cute, so that's one thing you've got going for you.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Quick heads-up for description of mild/moderate anxiety if anyone's not up for that at the moment :).

Grateful for his fluffy brown coat, Usopp steps off the last bus and into the it’s-supposed-to-be-spring-dammit chill. His feet ache, soles tender from running around all day, and he swears there’s a permanent dent in his shoulder from his bulky messenger bag. He rubs the burning dryness out of his eyes and hurries up the cracked walk of the Straw Hat House. Just a few more minutes and he’ll be safe in bed, just a few more minutes. 

He stuffs his coat in the hall closet next to some lacrosse nets (has anyone in the house played lacrosse? Like, ever? Luffy’s handwriting is on the handles, but that doesn’t mean anything) and kicks his boots off. He finds Robin in the kitchen, already in her lavender pajamas, her short bob pulled into a tiny fluff of a ponytail at the back of her neck. 

“Ah, there’s the birthday boy.” She says with that familiar smile of hers and holds up a pitcher of yummy-looking, fizzing red liquid. “Would you like some? It’s just punch and ginger ale.” 

“Yes, please.” He sighs, scrounging through the cupboards for a snack. Nothing worth eating lasted very long in their house, but it’s worth a look, just for some comfort munching. “Sorry for not answering your text, I barely had enough time at break to reheat my burrito and shove it into my face.” 

“Not a problem.” He hears the carbonation hiss as she pours a second glass, followed by the crack of the ice cube tray. “You know, I was reading an article at lunch that the brain begins deteriorating at twenty-seven. I hope you don’t spend the remainder of your prime looking so exhausted.” 

Usopp snorts, nudging a pack of possibly expired rice crackers off the top shelf with one finger. “Hmph, well, at least I’ve still got some prime left. You must be well past yours if that’s the-“ 

Before he even hears her feet, her deft hands are at his shirt collar and the stabbing shock of an ice cube is slipping down his spine. “AH! DAMMIT! ROBIN, I was just kidding! Get it out, my shirt’s tucked in, aaaah! How could yoooou!” 

“You reap what you sow.” She replies, smiling Sphinx-like again as she replaces the pitcher in the fridge and glides out with her drink. “Good night, Usopp.” 

His feet slip out from under him as he writhes, ending up on the tile floor, gritty with tracked-in salt and sand. Of course it has to be one of those massive ones, sticking to his shirt and jabbing against his skin as twists himself into a pretzel trying to reach it. 

Sanji appear in the doorway, unlit cigarette dangling from his sneering lips. “Developing a new form of interpretive dance, are we?” 

“Robin put this down my shirt!” Usopp tattles, holding the half-melted ice cube aloft before flinging it into Sunny’s water bowl. 

“Well, you must have done something to deserve it.” Sanji holds out a hand to help him up. “You better not be in here looking for your cake, I told you you’re not getting any till tomorrow.” 

“I wasn’t.” Usopp pushes his t-shirt back into his faded overalls and grabs his drink off the counter. “And you better not have anything planned for tonight. I’m not up for it.” 

“Good thing I don’t.” Sanji flicks on the hood fan over the stove and slides his lighter out of his breast pocket. “Are you being a dick for a reason, or do you just feel like it?” 

“I’m not- I didn’t mean to-“ Usopp groans and presses his palms against his eyes. “I just don’t want to ruin anything else today, okay?” 

Sanji hums curiously, holding his cigarette between two fingers as he lights it. “Rough day?” 

“Well, first off, Luffy woke me up early to pull a prank on Zoro while he was in the shower, which not only didn’t work, but it made me late. So I snapped at Luffy and he got annoyed and I still feel bad about it, even though I apologized by text. At least we used up that gross old syrup, anyway.” He pushes himself up on the counter over the dishwasher, which Sanji hates but he makes no objection, so he carries on. “Then I get to class, and of course it’s critique day, so the prof ripped a strip off me for being late. Then I’d forgotten to make some small adjustment to my project he’d recommended last week, so he took another strip off me and told me how I’d ‘never be successful if I couldn’t take simple feedback.’” 

“Fuck’s sakes,” Sanji interjects, tapping his ashes into the sink. “What an asshole. I swear, half the profs here are just angry old burnout fuckwits. Don’t listen to him.” 

“Well, yeah, but he is kinda right. I just wish he wouldn’t do that in front of everyone, you know? It sucks. So now I’m worried about my grade in that class, like I don’t have enough to think about already.” He gestures with his glass, spilling a little and feeling his knuckles get sticky before he sets it down. “Then literally no one in my industrial design group showed up, so guess who has to pre-emptively throw them under the bus, or do all their work for them at the last possible minute?” 

“Is that the nice prof, at least?” 

“Yeah, but she’s super forgetful. I think she’s the one who keeps hotboxing the storage closet.” Usopp sighs and runs a hand through his tied-back curls, pulling a few loose in the process. “And then at work, I not only totally screwed up a sale and cost us a chunk of money, but I also put the wrong order in and Heracles has to be the one to fix it first thing Monday morning because I have to help tear down our gallery show- I can’t trust any of the other graphics majors with a hammer, I swear – so I stayed late to lock up and I feel like all I’ve done is piss people off, you know? And I don’t want to do that to any of you guys when you’re throwing me a party tomorrow, and you’re all twice as stressed as I am so- 

“Hey.” Sanji tosses his cigarette into the sink and strides over, lightly tweaking Usopp’s nose. “You need to breathe for a second, where’s your pause button?” 

Usopp tries to smirk and fails, slumping against Sanji’s shoulder instead. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.” 

“Sounds like it.” Sanji scoffs, nuzzling against Usopp’s curls. “Sorry you had such a shitty birthday.” 

“Eh, s’fine, I shouldn’t complain. I got nice messages from everyone, and I got through to Dad at lunch.” He uses his feet to tug Sanji closer, his fuzzy mismatched socks losing traction against Sanji’s familiar black slacks. “Sorry for earlier. I just feel like I can’t do anything right today, and I didn’t want you to have some romantic evening planned and me mess it up.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Sanji rubs Usopp’s back absentmindedly, avoiding the damp patches from the ice cube. “I’ve saved all my seduction plans for Sunday, provided your sorry ass isn’t hung over from three drinks.” 

“Excuse you, I can totally hold my liquor now. I can hold all of the liquor. But also it’s my party and I’ll get sloshed if I want to.” The creak of the back door and Franky’s booming voice echo at the rear of the house, followed by heavy footsteps skittering down the hall and into the kitchen, until a wet nose presses against Usopp’s hand where it’s resting loosely on Sanji’s waist. “Hey, Sunny! Oh jeez, that’s another reason I was late! I stepped on her paw trying to get out the door and I thought I actually broke it. Worst five minutes of my life. I’m sorry, Sunny, do you forgive me?” 

“Certainly looks that way.” Sanji smiles and steps aside, letting Usopp slide to the floor and ruffle the affectionate Chow Chow’s fur. “Anything I can do to cheer you up? A backrub, some food, a handjob?” 

“Honestly, ah!” Usopp squeaks as he catches a faceful of Sunny’s long purple tongue. “Honestly, I just wanna lie in bed and zone out to some show.” He dodges another facewash, but continues rubbing Sunny’s fluffy flanks, putting on a faux-deep voice. “Isn’t that right? Who likes lying around and contemplating our life choices? Yes, we do! Who’s my good, navel-gazing girl? Is it you? Is it you?” 

Sanji stares down at them, a smile pulling his lips to one side. “And which one of us would you prefer to cuddle tonight?” 

“You, of course.” Sunny whimpers against his neck and Usopp scratches her ears. “Shh, don’t take it personally. It’s just he feeds me, and you shed on everything. You understand, don’t you?” 

Sunny woofs softly and Sanji shakes his head. He heads upstairs to get changed, knowing Usopp has a few more tummyrubs left before their house mascot will abandon him for her beloved spot at the foot of Robin and Franky’s bed. 

*** 

Usopp sits with his legs splayed out, getting his desk chair and laptop to perfect angle so they can watch from the bed. Still too low- a welding manual, there, perfect. He makes sure the cord from the external drive is secure and flops back into his familiar nest of pillows and blankets. He can hear Sanji’s shuffling footsteps on the small balcony next to his room. Burning through a cigarette. He’ll be in shortly, smelling of damp air and nicotine. For the moment, he lets the weight of the day sit on his chest until his fists ball up. 

His birthday had become a hard thing to look forward to in college. April became a month of rush and stress followed by four months of long-distance friendship. But at least it had been part of a clear pattern, before; Survive finals, go home, work the summer away, move back, start all over again. Now it was one long ellipsis. Would they be able to stay here, together? Could he make sure that happened? And if they couldn’t, where would that leave him? 

“Make room, Longnose.” Sanji pushes the door open, interrupting his self-pity party. He slides in between Usopp and the wall, bending his long legs to fit on the narrow mattress. “Sailor Moon, again? Don’t you find watching kid’s stuff really repetitive?” 

“No, because it’s not kid’s stuff.” Usopp holds up one finger, affecting a high and mighty tone. “It’s an entertaining high water mark of feminism that’s empowering for all ages and contains a consistent internal mythology unmatched by most of its contemporaries, as well as compelling themes of love, friendship, and sacrifice.” He hits play and snuggles down into his little-spoon position, smiling faintly as the familiar theme music starts to play. “Also it feeds the sad nostalgia monster in my soul, so shush.” 

They watch in silence for a while, chuckling softly at the campier moments, the screen glowing bright in the relatively dark room. Sanji lays propped up on one elbow, checking his phone periodically. Their legs entangle, the flannel of Sanji’s pale blue pajama pants rubbing soft against Usopp’s bare calves. He’d been too lazy to bother with more than boxers. His mind starts to wander away from the colourful action of the show, physically tired but still too keyed up to sleep. The tightness in his throat getting worse with every rehash of what he could or should have done today instead of- 

“Hey,” A finger jabbed suddenly into his cheek startles him back to the present. “I can damn near feel the knots forming in your back, talk to me.” 

“It’s nothing.” Usopp sighs, folding his arms tighter against himself, trying to refocus his eyes in front of him. “School stuff is- whatever. And Luffy sent me a bunch of D&D ideas so he can’t be too mad. But the shop- I should know better. I can’t be making rookie mistakes anymore. If I get fired-“ 

“Heracles would have to be fucking nuts to do that.” Sanji pushes himself up more so they can make eye contact. “You can ink a straight line with your eyes shut, that place would fall apart without you.” 

“Oh, Sanji, you do go on.” Usopp mocks, flapping his hand and smirking with false confidence. “And please, do go on.” 

“I’m serious, you ass.” Sanji pinches his side and leaves his hand pressed there, warmth seeping through Usopp’s thin undershirt. “You’re his best asset, he’s not gonna let you go over one bad day.” 

“Yeah, but,” Usopp shifts uncomfortably, refusing to look back at Sanji. “I’ve goofed on a few other things, and if he lets me go, I’m not sure if I can get decent hours anywhere else. And I really, really want to stay here, with everybody. I love Kaya, but I know if I have to move back, I’ll be stuck there and never get my career going or-“ 

“Hey, easy.” Sanji’s hand slides under his shirt and rubs his stomach, as if soothing a physical pain. “What’s with you tonight? It’s like your brain’s stuck on fast forward.” 

“Feels like everything’s stuck on fast forward.” Usopp mutters pathetically, the pillowcase catching at the edge of his lips. “Like I’m running in to fight the final boss and I’m thirty levels behind. I don’t even know if I can keep up with what I’m doing, or if I’m even doing what I _should_ be doing. I feel like Zoro when his GPS crashes, but like, all the time.” 

“Heh, don’t worry about any of that shit tonight.” Sanji barely suppresses a laugh, his lips brushing gently against a sensitive spot behind Usopp’s ear, raising a few goosebumps as he speaks. “Nothing you can do about anything right now. Let’s enjoy this weekend and go back to responsible adulthood later, alright?” 

Usopp snorts, but doesn’t pull away. “That’s just it, though. It’s like ‘Oh what if this is the last party I have with everyone together and I don’t _appreciate_ it enough,’ and all this other stuff.” 

“No one’s going anywhere, not anytime soon.” Sanji’s voice makes it sound almost like a threat, not towards Usopp, but to some invisible force that might hear him and feel reasonably intimidated. He shifts positions, pressing closer and sliding an arm under his head, bending the elbow to rest it comfortably between Usopp and the pillow. “I know you’re all wound up, but just relax for a little while, okay? Your day was shit, you earned it.” 

Usopp murmurs, vaguely agreeable, and returns to mindless watching, the scenes so firmly ingrained in his mind that he can watch with his eyes closed, and does. The heating vent below them clicks off, the temperature set lower since the days have warmed up. He shivers unexpectedly as cool air continues to push in from the window, and immediately finds the covers being pulled over him. Sanji burrows closer, pressing their bodies closer together to raise the temperature. “Good?” 

Usopp smiles, the grin reaching his voice finally. “Yeah, thanks.” 

“Don’t thank me for shit I’m supposed to do.” Sanji grumbles, brushing a kiss over Usopp’s shoulder and resting his cheek there, wrapped around him like his personal electric blanket. 

Usopp chuckles and lets his senses start to shut out the world beyond their little blanket nest. Sanji spoils as unreservedly as he insults, as their first anniversary two months prior had shown- in spades. But stuff like this- The comfortable quiet, the ease of dressing down and pressing skin to skin with no expectations, the attentive trace of Sanji’s fingers along his tattoos- it’s just the best. 

“I feel so safe with you.” Usopp says on a yawn, surprising himself and making Sanji twitch, perhaps out of near-sleep. He sinks more into the comforting frame of Sanji’s arms. “It’s like- You know when you’re a kid and you go camping, or on an overnight trip or to a friend’s house or whatever. You finally come home and sleep in your own bed and all your stuff is just where you left it and it’s just like- that’s it, that’s all you want right then. That’s how I feel with you.” He swallows, a stone sinking in his throat as self-consciousness rouses him. “Wow, that sounds pretty dumb, huh?” 

“No,” Sanji replies, his voice odd and distant. “I, uh, get what you mean. I feel- the same way, actually.” 

Usopp looks over his shoulder to find Sanji’s face nearly glowing red in the flickering white light. It never happens when he expects it to, but to take Sanji- with his sharp edges and his peacocking and that beard that makes him look way more mature than he is (Usopp isn’t afraid to admit beard envy, his father’s genes have doomed him to a life of unfulfilled cheek scruff and he has to deal with it) –and render him completely and utterly adorable, it’s his very favourite thing to see. 

Usopp rolls over completely, limbs ending up everywhere until he pulls himself up and goes in for a kiss. Long and unhurried, lips pressing and pulling against each other gently. He’ll never say it outright, lest he feed Sanji’s healthy ego, but the guy is a very, very good kisser. Ten out of ten, would kiss again, as often as reasonably possible. 

He draws his fingers over Sanji’s still dusted-pink cheeks as they pull apart, eyes hooded and teeth showing in his smile. “You’re cute when you blush.” 

“Shut the hell up,” Sanji shakes his head, bangs swishing and revealing his much-loathed eyebrows. He drops kisses between his words, making his way backwards across Usopp’s jaw. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear that, that’s all.” 

“That’s just how I work,” Usopp grins, shining with bravado as Sanji scoffs incredulously at him. “The Great Usopp, ruiner of men and breaker of hearts- _oh._ ” 

Now it’s Sanji’s turn to smile, his mouth hot against the curve of Usopp’s neck. “Come again?” 

“I haven’t yet, you’ll have to put in more effort- hey!” Usopp giggles incessantly, even when Sanji thumps him with one of the smaller pillows. “Heh, you know-“ He reaches up and pushes back some of Sanji’s hair, overgrown from a semester of neglect. “I haven’t asked about your day, pretty selfish of me. How was it?” 

“Eh, there was nothing to it.” Sanji shrugs and straddles Usopp’s stomach, careful not to squish any of their vital bits as he sits up and pulls his baggy blue sleep shirt off. “Went to morning lecture, worked in the kitchen, came home. They’re not grilling us at the end of the semester like they are with you guys. We’re basically filling time.” 

“Hmph, lucky you.” A smirk curls Usopp’s lips as he reaches out to blindly smack his mousepad until the episode pauses. “So I guess that means you’ll be doing all the work?” 

“Hell no.” Sanji snorts and comes down again, their lips meeting roughly and Usopp’s hands sliding over his wide, bare back. He spreads Usopp’s thighs with his own, leaning on his side and digging something out of his pants pocket before curving his hand between Usopp’s legs. Something hard and plastic, just the right size to fit against the underside of his cock and press, hard. “But I think this might do the trick.” 

“Oh- okay, yeah, that’s new and- _ah!_ ” Usopp’s chest heaves abruptly, hips arching up when Sanji flicks it on and a steady vibration sends a rush of arousal sparking through his body. “And fully charged! Oh, wow. I- I was kidding but- More of that, please, oh-!” 

“Get naked first.” Sanji draws back, leaving Usopp’s hips bucking in frustration. “I want to see all of you.” 

“You’re such a jerk.” Usopp whines, struggling to pull his frayed t-shirt off nonetheless. 

Sanji stills, waiting until Usopp has the shirt up over his head before he pins his tangled arms. He yanks his boxers down with one hand, not managing to get them past his knees, but still tucks his palm firmly against Usopp’s arousal. Turning the toy halfway up as he captures his lips in a short, messy kiss. His voice is barely audible, more of a buzz against Usopp’s skin than anything else. “Happy birthday. I’m not letting go until you come twice.” 

Usopp later ends up declaring his twenty-second birthday a complete success, even though Sanji isn’t awake to hear it.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short one this time! Wrote three very Sanji-centric fics and decided to put more focus on my favourite noodle for a bit. Wanted to have this up on April 1st but oops. Working on a longer more Usopp-centric fic, no promises when that'll be up but hopefully soon. 
> 
> Also I might have made Usopp into an Author Avatar again. Miiiiiiight have done that. Also still set in Canada if you couldn't tell by Usopp being bundled up in winter gear in APRIL GOSH DANG IT ahem. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading <3!


End file.
